Body camera video shows deadly shooting involving Avondale police and shoplifting suspect
By: Body camera video and additional documents have been released in a deadly shooting involving Avondale police earlier this year.
The shooting happened near Dysart and Buckeye roads on the afternoon of February 21.
Police originally responded to the area of a dollar store for reports of a shoplifting suspect who had left the area.
An officer attempted to approach a man in the area that police say matched the suspect description from the shoplifting.
Body camera footage shows the officer approach the man and then get into a struggle and fall down while attempting to take him into custody.
After the struggle, the man got free from the officer and appeared to turn to run away.
That is when the officer fired five shots at the man, as he appeared to continue to run away before falling to the ground.
That man was killed in the shooting. The officer suffered minor injuries.
Police say several knives were found in the man's possession when he was killed. One was in his waistband, while two others appeared to be holstered on his leg.
The officer involved said afterward that the man tried to choke him and attempted to grab the officer's gun.
Avondale police say Peoria police conducted the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. The criminal investigation into this shooting is being done by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. An internal review is also underway to determine if the shooting was in line with Avondale Police Department policies.
So far, police have not been able to identify the man killed.